It is known to use documents having such position identification markings in combination with a pen having an imaging system, such as an infra red camera, within it, which is arranged to image a small area of the page close to the pen nib. The pen includes a processor having image processing capabilities and a memory and is triggered by a force sensor in the nib to record images from the camera as the pen is moved across the document. From these images the pen can determine the position of any marks made on the document by the pen. The pen markings can be stored directly as graphic images, which can then be stored and displayed in combination with other markings on the document. In some applications the simple recognition that a mark has been made by the pen on a predefined area of the document can be recorded, and this information used in any suitable way. This allows, for example, forms with check boxes on to be provided and the marking of the check boxes with the pen detected. In further applications the pen markings are analysed using character recognition tools and stored digitally as text.
WO 03/056420 discloses a system in which the pen transmits data to a computer system including positional data that has associated with it a definition of a communication mode by means of which the computer system should communicate with a further system such as a server. The computer system uses the positional data to determine, for example from a look-up system, the communication mode that is to be used, for example identifying the address of the server to be contacted.